Depuis mars 2015, le photographe et auteur Joey Lawrence a obtenu un accès sans précédent aux organisations de guérilla kurdes luttant contre l’État Islamique, s’insérant dans le chaos de l’Irak et de la guerre civile syrienne lors de trois voyages distincts. Trois éléments se sont réunis pour créer une documentation extraordinairement courageuse et importante : sa photographie de portrait en moyen format, une étude écrite de l’histoire de la tourmente qui a conduit à la montée des milices kurdes armées, et des notes intimes d’expériences personnelles vivantes tout en travaillant comme photographe de guerre.
Au cours de ses voyages, Joey Lawrence a observé des guérilleros volontaires avec des liens mystérieux avec le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) hors-la-loi se transformer en une armée pleinement fonctionnelle et les coalitions dirigées par les États-Unis qui sont le partenaire le plus fiable – et les Forces démocratiques syriennes (SDF).
Avec peu de soutien officiel du gouvernement et seulement des armes légères; des frères, des sœurs, d’anciens étudiants universitaires et des réfugiés qui avaient fui leurs foyers ont maintenant pris les armes contre un groupe djihadiste ennemi-radical commun qui conteste les réformes sociales laïques au Kurdistan.
La capacité extraordinaire de Joey Lawrence à gagner la confiance et son attitude courageuse et ouverte face à l’inattendu, combinée à son amour authentique pour ses sujets et à leur quête d’indépendance, donne à We Came from Fire un sens profond de l’humanité.
Since March 2015, photographer and author Joey L. has gained unprecedented access to Kurdish guerrilla organizations fighting against ISIS, embedding himself into the chaos of the Iraq and Syrian Civil War on three separate trips. Three components meld to create an extraordinarily brave and important documentation: his medium format portrait photography, a written study of the history of the turmoil that led to the rise of armed Kurdish militias, and intimate journal notes of vivid personal experiences while working as a photographer in the war.
During his travels, Joey observed ragtag volunteer guerrilla fighters with mysterious links to the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) grow into a fully functional army and the US-led coalitions most trusted partner–Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). With little official government support and just light weapons; brothers, sisters, former university students and refugees that once fled from their homes have now taken up arms together against a common enemy–radical jihadist groups that contest the secular social reformations in Kurdistan.
Joey’s uncanny ability to gain trust and his fearless and open attitude to the unexpected, combined with his genuine love for his subjects and their quest for independence gives We Came from Fire a deeply felt sense of humanity.
The Photographer :
Joey Lawrence is a Canadian-born photographer and director based in Brooklyn, New York. Since the age of 18, Joey’s work has been consistently sought out by a number of advertising clients, including National Geographic Channel, U.S. Army, Lavazza, Canon, Jose Cuervo, History Channel, The Government of Abu Dhabi, and many others. His work is regularly seen in magazines, subway advertisements, and billboards.
A firm believer in fostering creativity and fulfillment through personal pursuits, Joey wrote and directed his first scripted film entitled People of the Delta.
Most recently, Joey traveled three times to Iraq and Syria to document the ongoing crisis. He has embedded with multiple sides of the war, including the government-held areas in Damascus, to the Free Syrian Army opposition rebels, and Kurdish fighters of the YPG.
Joey has been listed as one of the “Most Influential Photographers on Social Media”; Complex magazine named him one of the “30 Photographers under 30 to Watch”; and he has been recently featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery as part of
